Updates on Licensing Irregularities at Singapore Rifle Association and Singapore Gun Club
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns inquiries by Mr Pritam Singh regarding licensing irregularities at the Singapore Rifle Association and Singapore Gun Club. Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam stated that while some firearms lacked valid licenses, all licensed arms were accounted for and none were missing. Investigations are ongoing, and the Singapore Shooting Association has assumed control of the armouries with access restricted to national shooters and authorized personnel. The police are also conducting a holistic security review of the National Shooting Centre alongside Sport Singapore to ensure robust safety protocols. These measures aim to strengthen operational processes and ensure all facilities strictly satisfy the necessary licensing requirements for handling firearms.
Transcript
41 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether he can provide an update on the "serious licensing irregularities" discovered at the Singapore Rifle Association and Singapore Gun Club respectively in light of the current security environment; and (b) whether any firearms have been found missing or illegally removed from the armouries of these clubs.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Singapore Rifle Association (SRA) and Singapore Gun Club (SGC) are shooting clubs which have historically been licensed by the Police to allow Singaporeans to pursue shooting as a sport. Both shooting clubs operate separate armouries co-located at the National Shooting Centre.
On 4 February 2016, following an inspection of the SRA and SGC armouries, the Police took into custody several arms which the clubs were not able to produce valid licences for. All arms with licences were, however, accounted for, and none was missing from the armouries. Police investigations into these arms without valid licences are still ongoing at this stage.
In the interim, the Singapore Shooting Association, the national sports association for shooting, has been issued a licence to take charge of the armouries and arms within the National Shooting Centre. While Police investigations are still ongoing, access to the centre has since been strictly confined to national shooters from the Singapore Shooting Association and other persons specifically granted permission by the Police.
Alongside ongoing investigations, the Police are concurrently conducting a holistic review of the overall security of the National Shooting Centre and will work with Sport Singapore and the Singapore Shooting Association to ensure that the security measures and processes at the National Shooting Centre are robust and satisfy all licensing requirements.